Part 2Soul Kept From the Grave

The rough trip didn't shake my resolve to meet Evanna's parents, but I regretted my eagerness to come the moment we reached the settlement's entrance.

It was already late at night when we got there. Hardly any houses still had the lights on, but the whole place gave me this illusion of being crowded and noisy. It felt like there were these vague, flickering shapes drifting along the road. Now and then, I even caught scraps of voices in my ears.

It was my first time in such a remote settlement, so I didn't think too much of it at first. But when I saw all the dolls lined up along the roadside, the regret really kicked in.

They looked especially creepy in the dark. Each doll was a little different, its expression and posture off in its own way. When I looked more closely, I noticed they were all dressed in different outfits, too.

I asked Evanna, "Why are there so many dolls along the road? Is this some kind of local custom? Like that doll village overseas that they did a news piece on?"

Her smile looked a little stiff as she brushed me off. "Y-Yeah. Pretty much."

She told me to stop staring at everything and practically dragged me the rest of the way home.

The house itself was in terrible shape. It looked like it might collapse on the spot if a strong wind blew through. Two dolls were set up by her front door, too. I didn't dare look too closely and hurried inside.

Evanna's parents were clearly really looking forward to meeting me because they were already waiting in the living room. When we walked in, the dishes on the table were still warm, like they'd been reheated over and over.

I was taken aback when I really looked at them. Their clothes and accessories looked way too similar to the outfits on the two dolls outside. Still, I nodded politely and greeted them.

Mr. Zeller enthusiastically pulled me over to the table, poured me a glass of liquor, and even handed me a cigarette. I hardly ever drank, but since my future father-in-law had personally gotten me this drink, I had to take it.

One shot of that strong liquor burned its way down my throat, immediately warming me. I perked right up.

Evanna and Mrs. Zeller brought out more dishes from the kitchen; I kept insisting that they didn't need to go to so much fuss.

But Mrs. Zeller just looked at me and said, "Eat up. Enjoy your last meal."

For some reason, that made my hair stand on end. A knot of unease formed in my chest.

Evanna realized Mrs. Zeller's words sounded off and quickly signaled for her not to say anything else. Meanwhile, Mr. Zeller jumped in and started talking to me, trying to change the subject.

"So, young man, what do you do in the city?"

"I'm a PR manager at a foreign company," I answered.

"Oh. Very nice."

Despite his praise, I would've bet money that he had no idea what my job actually was.

Evanna sat next to me, constantly speaking up for me. "His family's pretty well-off. Both his parents are college professors, and they treat me really well."

Mr. Zeller bared his teeth in a grin and took a gulp of liquor. "That's good."

After a few rounds, my courage started to grow. I asked, "Mr. Zeller, what are the two dolls you have by the front door for?"

"Oh, those? They're Evanna's grandparents."

A shiver ran through me, instantly sobering me up.

Evanna rushed to smooth things over. "I told you, didn't I? It's our local custom. After Grandpa and Grandma passed away, Dad made those dolls to look just like they did when they were alive. He also hand-wove our traditional folk costumes for them to wear. It's how we remember them. Every family in our settlement does it."

In my head, I grumbled that she definitely hadn't explained things that clearly just now—not that I dared to talk back. I didn't push for more details, either.

I just raised my glass and clinked it with Mr. Zeller's.